Friday, February 8, 2019

Gold Award Spotlight: Knowledge is Power

Girl Scout Marielle has earned her Gold Award, the
highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouts.

For her project, #Knowledgeispower, Marielle took the
initiative to inform young women about how victims of human trafficking are
lured. Marielle also decorated two rooms at a transition home, which is a place
for victims of human trafficking.

Marielle also presented a video on human trafficking and
then created a survey to see how effective her project was and if she had
received positive results. The survey revealed that the video had an impact on
her target audience. Those that did not know much about human trafficking were
more aware of how young women get lured in, allowing them to be more cautious.

Her Gold Award allowed her to step outside of her comfort
zone and build self-confidence.

“I am shy and speaking in front of groups is very difficult
for me. I originally planned on filming myself talking on the video, but I also
found that difficult. My friend suggested that I use pictures instead. I had to
practice until I was comfortable with my information. It was still hard to do
public speaking, but I managed. It helped that I was speaking to peers and my
group was not large,” she said.

Throughout her project, Marielle learned that communication
is a key leadership skill, especially when talking about difficult subjects
such as this one.

“Communication is needed to lead, participate and build
relationships. I realized that I communicate well in small groups and can lead
and share my ideas in small groups, but I need to gain confidence to lead
larger groups,” she said.

What We DoWe serve nearly 10,000 girls throughout southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. With the guidance of nearly 5,000 dedicated and trained volunteers, girls discover the fun, friendship, and power of girls together.